Tractor's, Company & other Rambles

It's been a somewhat busy spring here when it comes to visitors too. We've had our niece Abbie here a couple times for several days. It was good to catch up with her.

DH's friend Kirk also came over for several days, to help hubby get one of his old tractors running again. They had to totally rebuild the motor I think, but they did manage to get it running before Kirk had to leave. It's always wonderful to have Kirk here. :-))

They both rode this old tractor around our yard a time or two, once it was running...it left some holes in the yard, from the wheels...but it wasn't long before you couldn't see them with all the rain we've been getting. It was nice to see a cute tractor running around here for a change...as the other ones hubby has worked on weren't near as "cute" to me as this one was. LOL

We have also had the neighbor kids here for a few nights, while their Mom had to go out of town...so yep...been rather more busy with the company aspect so far this spring!!

As for hubbies knee replacement surgery...we still don't know about that one.  He keeps having more and more trouble with his knee...but God willing it will hold out as long is needed, till they get around to doing the replacement.  Prayers are still appreciated if you can send some up for him!

Anyway, that's about all the major stuff that I can remember at this moment in time.  I'll share a few photos tomorrow of our "spring" beauty if I remember to and have time to, and then I think I'll be up to date least photo wise!

Hopefully I can get a few taken in the next few days...depending on the rain for some of them, since it seems we are in a major rainy season lately, and update you on a little more newsy stuff.  Until then...I'll be in my soap room, or at my craft table if I'm not busy cleaning, cooking or helping my Mom at her house!  ;-))

Or...as the case of this evening and tomorrow is, in my kitchen helping butcher a cow that we were just given because it was down and the vet said it wouldn't be getting back up.  Hubby, my Dad and a neighbor just went to get it...and I'm taking a break for a sec, to post this...and just had to add our latest news on there.  LOL  Guess we will be busy tonight!  Least a neighbor or two will help us, for a share...and that way we don't have to try and find room for a whole cow in ours and Mom &Dad's freezer since we do still have some of our last one in there (although I was getting low on ground meat).  So...Praise be to God for giving us more, before we ran out!

 God is Good All the time!!!

See ya when I see ya!!

A Neighbor's Gift

For years I've wanted one of those Martin houses that I saw a lot of, as we drove by Amish houses...yes you see them elsewhere, but it seems almost all the Amish have at least one. I've always thought of them as bird apartments...but they always looked so cool I wanted one (or dare I say some?!  TEE HEE) of my own.

This winter, DH told me that one of our neighbor's was making one for himself...and hubby also let slip that the neighbor was making one for me too!! Ahhh...can we say NICE!! Both hubby for letting the neighbor know I'd love one, and the neighbor for building it for me!!


I never knew that some of the houses came in four pieces...that were then put on the post, but attached so they can be lowered to be cleaned. I'm not sure how that all works, cause I didn't actually go out and watch them put it up...that's just what hubby told me. I did manage to snap a photo of the pieces on the ground, while the guys were busy elsewhere...but had to go back inside and finish what I was doing, so didn't watch when they came back to put them up.

I guess it's possible (according to what our neighbor said) that they won't get birds in them this year...but hopefully next year they will be found and used!

Anyway, hubby said our neighbor made it for my birthday...and yes this is EARLY, but Martin's have been sighted, so they wanted to get it up.  

We sure have been blessed with wonderful neighbors in this move!!  The BEST ones we've ever had...and we actually have had a few good ones before.  Just not as MANY of them!  :-))

Maybe it's the quality of neighbors that I'm so enjoying.  We've not had to many neighbors who we KNEW we could count on if we NEEDED  help.  We had one (maybe two at the end) neighbors in Nebraska I'd have felt somewhat comfortable calling on, had I needed anything when hubby was gone, and even then I think I'd have been more comfortable calling hubbies best friend for help and he lived a few miles away at the time.  But here, there is a whole community of people I'd go to for help, not to mention my own family...so we truly have been blessed in this move, even if we do still miss having hubbies best friend closer.

So anyway...sorry, I kinda went off on a tangent a bit there...back to the bird apartment; now I have to work on getting a comfy bench for the back yard, so I can enjoy the warm sunshine from time to time, and watch the birds flying in and out of their new home!!   *sigh*  Yep...there is ALWAYS something I "need".  *giggle*  Maybe I'll just put one of our lounge chairs back here...even though it would be more of a pain to move it, when mowing.  We will see what happens, as spring and summer progress.  :-))

Ohhh....I almost forgot, in all the excitement we've had here the past day or two...I'm pretty sure I heard the frogs a night or two ago. (If you don't know...I LOVE the sound of the frogs in the spring.) They are harder to hear here cause the creek is further from the house.  We may still have cool nights...and even some cooler days, but least spring is finally showing it's face here and there!  Yippee!!!

It's been a BERRY good year!

ROFL I couldn't resist that title to the post, because of all the wonderful berries we found to buy from the Amish around us this last spring. It really WAS a BERRY good year for berries! LOL

Wasn't to shabby for us in other ways too. Yes, there were trials...gotta have them, and tribulations....gotta have them too, but there were also good times and while our large family doesn't seem so large anymore, with so many holding grudges, that's ok too. God has his reasons for things happening, and I don't have the energy any more to worry about it so much. What will be will be.  I enjoy seeing family when they come around and thank God for those we have who are still a blessing in our lives.


Our animals are some of our best blessings and they have blessed us with good times again this year! Yes, we lost a few...sadly it was Autumn's year to go...but we gained some too.

While Belle, our newest doxie fur baby,  has been a little more of a challenge to train cause she likes to do her OWN thing, she has been a blessing too in her own way. It's been so good to see her and Peaches play together, since Peaches never was able to really play to much with Autumn...they tear around the house after each other having a ball at times, which in turn makes me laugh!

The cows have really been enjoyed, both for the milk, their meat, and their babies! Loving having a couple calves around to see them romping around the pasture again! Course Pearl (our horse) is always a pleasure to look at, she's so pretty and adds some interest to our menagerie.


There are so many things we enjoyed this year! The beauty around us being one of them of course, both in the colorful sunrises and sunsets...


...the beautiful fall color we get here in Missouri...


...and the oh so pretty wild flowers along the road sides here.


The time we spent with family, (Having my Aunt and Uncle stop in one afternoon when they were back in the states was wonderful! We haven't seen them all that much in the last few years, but sure enjoy them when we do, and it was so good to laugh with them and make more memories.)...


...and friends, were of course the high light of our year. Having Galen's best friend spend a couple weeks with us...and not just cause one of those weeks he spent building Galen's shop...was great! We had some good times, laughing, playing games and just hanging out when they weren't off doing something on their own. The new friends we've made here have also added to our blessings for the year.


As much as I loved all of the above mentioned things, the BEST part of my year was spending it with that wonderful hubby of mine!  He lights up my life and is so understanding, I've never know anyone who understands me as well and is as accepting of my limitations.  That's not to say he ALWAYS understands why I do something...LOL...but he understands more than anyone else ever has.  I love being with him, and watching him with our animals, because he is so gentle and kind to them...kinda like how he is to me.  I am SOOOO BLESSED!!!! :-))


All in all it really was a BERRY good year! Good friends, family, furry friends not to mention all the good eats we've been blessed with this year has really helped us settle in for our first full year back in Missouri.

 Here's hoping that 2014 is at LEAST as good! I'm sure looking forward to berry season again...between the berries and the peaches I'm longing for warm weather and fresh fruit! LOL

Hope everyone had a wonderful year...and will have an even better 2014!!

 Happy New Year!

Buggy ride with Pearl

Once Pearl was all hooked up to the buggy I opened the barnyard gate, and they were off! Pearl pranced down the driveway in front of that cart...she was so pretty!

They took her out and around past John's house (where Pearl used to live before we got her and John bought the place) and DH said it looked like she was waiting to pull into her old driveway...she must have remembered it.

They turned around at one of our other neighbor's farm, and that neighbor said she was looking better than the last time he saw her. DH drove on the way back, and there is a big hill he had to drive down...so John told him how it was done, so they didn't get to moving to fast down the hill. They drove up past our drive, then turned around and came back home.


It seems like it was a long drive, for Pearl's first time out in 6 months, but DH said John said she could have gone further. I think she needs to build up slowly though, cause she looked tired when she got home...and was lathered up a bit.


DH thinks she enjoyed herself, but she was also happy to get back out to the pasture. She rolled around scratching her back a bit once she was free.

I'm going to wait till DH knows more about what he is doing I think before I take a buggy ride, I'd rather be a little more sure she isn't going to take off running or something, before I climb onto the buggy.  LOL  Yes I'm a chicken, what can I say.

It's so nice our Amish neighbor's are so willing to help us out, and teach us things!  Hubby was sure happy that night after the ride, he had a LOT of fun!  :-))

Fitting the Harness

Once Pearl got her "shoes" on, John, our Amish neighbor asked if DH wanted to hook Pearl up to his hack and take her for her first drive (least her first since we had her). Naturally DH was all over THAT idea, and was really excited about it!  I didn't get as many photo's of the process as I'd have liked, cause I was trying to not get too many with John in them...but least I managed a few!

Hubby went and got the harness out of the barn, while I went to get the two pads that we still had inside, and they preceded to get it on her and fitted correctly. DH said he was so glad John helped the first time, cause he wouldn't have known how tight things should be, not to mention exactly HOW everything went on.


Getting the halter on, is something thats going to take practice, cause getting the bit in Pearl's mouth wasn't as easy as it looks...least not to us who have never done anything like that before. She wasn't real happy with the bit, but who would be happy having something in your mouth like that! LOL John showed DH how to get her to open her mouth, so hopefully he can get the hang of it.


It takes a bit to get the whole harness setup on her, especially the first time since things had to be fitted to her, but they finally had it on and ready to hook her up to the cart. Hopefully DH can remember everything the next time he wants to hook her up to our cart...cause I'm not sure I could do it myself yet! LOL


There is a trick to getting the horse in the cart...who knew! John said they train them so they can lift the shaves (the wooden things that go on each side of the horse) with one hand while hanging onto the horse with the other hand, and the horse then swings their hind end around so it's between the shaves...then the shaves are lowered so they are on each side of the horse. I couldn't get photo's of this process cause there was no way to do it without getting a photo of John's face...so I just watched.

Pearl didn't do it the first time John tried to get her to, after all it's been at least 6 months since she's been hooked up to a cart...so she has to be reminded how to do things. She did however finally remember what she was to do, and we saw her swing her hind end into place. So cool!! So nice to see she remembers what she is to do, and behaves! I told her she was a good girl. LOL

Getting her all hooked up to the cart is a process...certainly not as easy as grabbing your keys and going out to your car and taking off, but...if that's how you have to get around, guess you would get used to having to take extra time to get ready to go.  I'm rather fond of having a car...but this certainly is interesting, and may be fun to take a ride now and then in the country.  DH is certainly excited about it...I'm just waiting to see cause I'm a bit more "chicken" than he is.  LOL

I'll share some photos of them driving tomorrow!

Horseshoeing

Our neighbor came over yesterday to put shoes on Pearl. The cut on her hoof has healed enough that it wasn't going to bother her as he was putting them on. DH asked if he minded if I took photo's, as he was doing it and he said it would be ok as long as I didn't get a photo of his face. He said he would rather not be in them...mostly just his hands or something like that, so I did my best, although there are a few that more shows in. I think for the most part he would be ok with the photos, I tried my best to respect his wishes.

That's one difference between us and the Amish...they think photos are vanity (they think it brings attention to the person in the photo) and I just consider them memories...since my memory sucks I need all the help I can get! LOL To each their own, I may not agree with their view point, but I will do my best to respect it because we don't have to agree on everything to be friends! :-))


DH held out the horseshoe's, so I could get a photo of it, and pointed out the added "traction" they put on them. I thought that was kinda neat, I had wondered how they could be so surefooted on a slippery surface.


The first step was to clean out the hoof. He made short work of that and the trimming of the hoof.


He then used his file on it to smooth it up and file it down a bit.


Then it was time to get the horseshoe to fit. He would hold it on the hoof, looking to see where it needed adjusted.


He would use this tool if it needed stretched, and an anvil that was in the back of his wagon to pound it into shape. I didn't get a photo of him at his anvil, as it was a little harder to do without getting HIM in it.


Once it was fitting as well as it could he nailed it to her foot!


With the shoe nailed on and the nail's bent over, he would go on to the next foot till they were all on...then he went back to take off the bent nail and finish the job.


When the shoes were all on, Pearl had to put each foot up on a post he had, while he nipped off the nails and smoothed them all down even with her hoof.


I'm not sure exactly what this was doing, but once he nipped off the nails so they were even with the hoof, he went around and did something on each one...maybe so it hopefully wouldn't back out of the hoof...guess I should have asked him exactly what this was doing, but I didn't. LOL


Pearl almost went to sleep several times while he was working, which I thought was kinda funny. She was so well behaved, although did sometimes get a little antsy...and tried to take her foot back, while he had a hold of it...but for the most part she did good!

It was really interesting, and kinda funny that our neighbor mentioned he's never had someone so interested in watching him shoe a horse. I just laughed and said I've never seen it done before. We are always interested in seeing what goes on at our place if someone is here to "fix" something or work on something so this was no different.  Course had I not been able to take photo's I wouldn't have been out there cause I would have been chomping at the bit to document it and it would have been to much for me if I hadn't been able to.  LOL

It certainly was an interesting evening...and this was just the beginning...tomorrow I'll share more of what our Amish neighbor helped us with last evening.

Tune in tomorrow to see why DH was so excited with what came after the shoeing!!  :-))

Birthday Buddy

When I was young, there was someone in my grade at school who shared my Birthdate with me. Since then, I've not known personally (that I remember...or least that I know of) anyone who was born on May 19th...that is till now!

Some young friends of ours just had their first baby this year on my birthday!! They had a little boy, so I'm thinking of him as my little birthday buddy. LOL


He was born in a little town not far from where we were going to be the day after my birthday, so we called them up to see if they could stop and let us see him real quick, before they headed on home...back to Nebraska (they came to Missouri, so they could have a midwife birth instead of a hospital birth...which I'm all for myself if the mother is healthy and things are going well...Nebraska doesn't allow midwives at this time which is a shame.)

His Dad looked so proud and happy! I didn't manage any real GOOD photos, but...they had some other friends who happened to be driving through, stop to see him too so I had to jockey for position with my camera. LOL


His Mom looked happy too, although I'm sure she was really tired and was wishing the trip home was over already.

I'm so glad we happened to be in town at the right time, so we could see him. He is a cutie, and looks a LOT like his Daddy! In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a baby who looks as MUCH like one of their parents as this little cutie did.

We had a nice little chat with them and learned that they knew our Azure Standard drop coordinator (which I thought was really kinda weird...after all they are from Nebraska, actually the new Mom is originally from the west coast and came back here last year to marry her hubby and SHE is the one who had known her since she was a child.)  We also found out our drop coordinator had a connection with someone else we knew years ago which made the day that much more interesting and odd.  LOL  What a small world it truly is at times!

Needless to say, being able to see a new little blessing and learn a little more about someone we knew really made the day extra special.

We went to pick up our Azure order, which is why we were in that town to begin with, and one of the ladies gave us a couple fresh backed loaves of homemade sourdough bread!  I think it was because the month before DH changed a tire for her when we discovered it was flat.  Didn't expect anything for it, just being nice, but what a sweet thing for her to do in payment!  Gotta love homemade bread!!!  :-))  All in all, it was really a wonderful day, and beautiful besides with the countryside between here and there being so beautiful and green making the drive not so bad.

Wish all our shopping days could be so nice!  Wonderful, beautiful AND extra interesting! It seems some of the connections we've made here in Missouri, lead us to connections we've had in the past...both resent past and distant past.  How strange yet blessed is that.  :-))

Galen's Shop

It's been a beautiful week so far, here in north central Missouri. It's been warm (almost TO warm) and sunny, and the trees have started showing they are greening up along the creek! It's also been a really busy week here, with lots of pounding and the sounds of a saw from time to time, mixed in with the normal farm sounds of chickens, cows and other wild life.

DH's friend, Kirk, came over from Nebraska on Sunday, to spend the week helping DH get his shop built. It's been almost a year since DH has had a shop of any kind. He has had to make do with using the barn, an old lean to shed, or just do things out in the open...with MOST of his tools still being stored in the cattle trailer we moved them over here in. He's had to fight to do some things, since he can't find all his tools till he unloads that trailer, which he couldn't do till he had his shop built.


Monday, they got the holes drilled for the poles, got them tamped in, and some of the boards up to hold them together (I'm not a builder, so can't say what they are really called...sorry!) LOL They had to fight to get a stump out, before they could get started, but finally with the advise of a neighbor (who was here cause his cows decided to visit us again) they got it out so they could get on with building the shed.


They work well together, this wonderful Man of mine, and his friend. Course with DH's bad back (even with the back surgery, he has to be careful and can't do everything he used to be able to do) his friend had to carry a heavier load, but he is younger so still able to do it. LOL


By the end of the 2nd day of work, the shed looked like this! This morning (Wed) they are working on getting the nailers on the south side of the roof...and then will be ready to start putting tin up I think! They are trying to get as much done as possible, because rain is forecast to start tonight...plus, if they could get this main part done, they need to put a lean to on the back of the shed, for DH's wood shop, so they still have plenty to do and it's already wed! LOL Thankfully the lean to, won't be quite as hard for DH to do himself, if he has to.

Sure would be nice if the rain would hold off for most of the rest of the week! With God's help though, they will get done what they need to. :-))


With Kirk doing most of the high work, and DH helping from the ground I've not been as much of a wreck as I could have been, had DH been up in the air. Kirk is younger and able to move around better, so is safer being the one on the roof. I'm sure DH is STILL doing more than he should...but what are you going to do, when things need done and we can't afford to hire it done.


All in all, I think they have really done a great job so far! I know DH AND I are grateful to God for Kirk's help. We can never repay this young man's wonderful friendship and all the help he has given us over the last few years.

I've been busy in the kitchen, keeping them fed...when I wasn't off shopping with my Mom since our stupid microwave decided to stop working (we just got it last month too...so had to return it for another one).  Seems things like that always have to happen with "company" here!  LOL  I would love to just get rid of the microwave, but...it IS handy and hubby wants it around, so I've not phased it out yet.  Just think of the extra counter space I'd have without it though!  LOL

I've also been able to have the windows open more the last few days, which is sure nice!  Love hearing the birds sing and get that fresh air inside!

I better get back to work though...just thought I'd finally get a post done about the new shed that is going up!  Will try to update how it's going before the end of the week.  :-))

A friend's quick visit.

We had a friend here this last weekend, she came in to help us this summer, and ended up having a family emergency, so had to leave again far to soon, but it was so good to have her here for even a little bit. I'm sure God has his reasons for sending her home, I guess he must figure we can do without her help after all.

The dogs warmed up to her real quick, Autumn always loves to meet new people, and while Peaches loves people, she usually stands back for at least a little bit, but within a couple hours she was climbing all over Bethani, and happy to get some extra attention from her.

One afternoon, Peaches was sitting beside Bethani, with Bethani's arm around her and she fell asleep, sitting up like a person does. She then slumped forward in her sleep, and I couldn't resist a photo of her. Course DH came in, and then went and got my camera so I could get one, and she woke up...but I still had to get a photo of her slumped forward cause she was so funny...yet cute.

Even Autumn wanted to sit by Bethani, and even rolled over for a tummy rub...something she never does for us. I think the dogs really loved her, and it appeared like Bethani really liked them too. :)


Bethani had never seen some of the crops we have in the fields here, as she is from Oregon, so we made sure before taking her back to meet her plane, that we got some photos of her by a corn field.

It was a long trip, for such a short visit, but thankfully God was with her and got her back home safely. My prayers are with them now, and hopefully the family emergency that called her back home isn't to bad.

Now...we've gotta try to get things done around here ourselves, so...no promises how much posting there will be in the next few weeks...probably depends on how much time I have to get photos of anything interesting, and get them off my camera, and just how much I end up having to can from the garden...only time will tell on that! :)

I do hope everyone is having a good summer so far though! It's suppose to be really hot here for several days...so hopefully all the animals (and us) will manage to make it through without any trouble. Take Care out there.

How do I let myself get talked into these things?

This morning I had planned on doing a few things, before we took the afternoon off, so I was working around the kitchen when DH gets a call from a friend.

This friend has been working on some of the old cars at a museum, trying to get them running, and wondered if we wanted to take a ride in an old Model T Ford, since he had gotten it running.

Naturally DH was all for the idea, and I admit, I thought it would be kinda neat, cause I kinda like those really old cars, so I rushed around the kitchen finishing what I HAD to do and we jumped in the car and drove down to take a ride into the past.

We tool around town for a little while, slowly up the hills, and the thought had crossed my mind a few times wondering if we would make it back to where we started...or if I'd end up having to walk back. It sputtered a few times, but managed to keep going...for a while.

Just when I think, wow, maybe it will make it back, it dies on us...and won't start. So our driver (friend) gets out and goes and opens the hood and starts messing with it. We climbed out (which isn't as easy as it is in these moderns cars we have...I had trouble getting my big feet past the door jamb LOL) and stood around while he tinkered.


He got it going again, so this time I decided to climb into the back, cause DH had said there was more room back there, so I wanted to see for myself...cause there sure wasn't much in the front.

We went tooling around town some more, and finally headed back the direction I knew we needed to go to end up back where we started. We had to turn around once to pick up the muffler that fell off, then took off again, rounded the corner by the hospital...and it died on us again, only this time it was because it was out of gas! *sigh*

So there we were, the guy who was suppose to be with the car...an old man who has trouble walking long distances, and an old fat woman who was drug along for the ride. Since I knew DH couldn't do the hike, and the young friend should probable stay with the car since he was the one who had permission to drive it, I said I'd walk back and get the gas can and our car and come to the rescue, since it was just around the corner and up the hill. Little did I know the "hill" was a LONG steep hill! All I have to say is they are SO LUCKY that it was a cooler day, cause even so I was hot by the time I got back to our car.


I drove back with the gas, and they put some more in it, and took off with a wave, probably still laughing at my "comment" about the LONG hill I had to walk up.

I followed them to make sure they made it back ok, and then we jumped in our car and came home...I needed to get the supper I had prepared before leaving turned on so it could cook in a low oven all afternoon...and DH had promised we would be home in time that I could, so he couldn't stand around talking like he usually would. LOL For once it wasn't hard to get him to leave, guess he didn't want to chance my wrath, since I did the walking. *giggle*

It was kinda fun, even though I got my exercise walking to get the gas. My Grandparents used to own a Model T, and if we had a place to store one inside, and money to keep it up I'd love to have one just for grins. I like the really old cars (or trucks) they are kinda cool...but I wouldn't want to drive one by myself I don't think since I couldn't tinker with it to get it going again. I'd much rather have something that might not leave me stranded by the side of the road. :)

As DH said..."It's not just a ride, it's an adventure". *giggle*

Fencing

We've been needing to build fence (what else is new...seems that's a never ending job around here LOL) and since DH can't do it as easily anymore (or very fast), he talked a friend into helping him some today...so it didn't take all summer to do the stretch around the hayfield he wanted to get in. Praise God for our wonderful friends! :-))

DH wanted to get the hayfield fenced, so once the hay is off it, we can let the animals out to graze. It will cut down on the cool photos I can take off across the hayfield (without a fence in sight) but guess I'll adapt! LOL



They have managed to get all the posts in today, which is the worst part,even though they had to dodge rain showers this morning. This afternoon it really cooled off, so even though they were working they had to have jackets on, but the rain held off so they could get the worst part of the fencing done. Now we just have to try to get the wire up and stretched. Once that's done, the hayfield should be cow proof (well ok, gotta finish some gates too).

Then that just leaves one stretch of fence, across the top of the hill to do before it would be goat proof. Least the cows will be able to be out there for extra good grass, that's the main thing, since they do provide us with lots of milk and butter. Maybe we can get it goat proof next year...if that doesn't happen this year.

He was hoping to work on ditch crossings first I think, so the back pasture was cow proof...but with all this rain we have had in the last week that just wasn't possible. Hopefully they will get done soon...and hopefully this rain will let up so we can get some other things done that we need it dry for. I'm thankful for the rain though, we were needing some...SOME being the operative word. LOL

Thankfully I didn't have to help fence, since DH had help...am I lucky or what?!!

I stayed in and stayed warm, cooking, cleaning and whatever else I always find to do around here. Least I did get a start on cleaning my office like I've been saying I was going to do for a while now. I can see the counter top in spots, whereas before I couldn't. LOL I also found room for all my soaping supplies, although had to do a little "stuffing" to get them all where they belong.

I think it's time to make more room in my office cupboards...just don't know HOW that's going to happen. *sigh* I just have way to much junk!! LOL It would help if I'd somehow find a place for a bunch of books (I need a library!) cause I have a bunch in my office that would free up a nice amount of room for soaping supplies, if I could just move them out. However, not sure where that would be, unless it was the attic, and I'm not willing to put them there cause I hate going up there after things...so I'd never see them. (My herb and health related books are what are in my office...and yes I have a nice amount of them. LOL)

Anyway, it's been a pretty productive day for us, although my "productiveness" doesn't show like DH's (and his friend) does. LOL Even though it was a dreary day for the most part, I'm feeling really thankful now, and grateful for our friends once again.

Below are some of my favorite "friends" quotes I kept close from when I was scrapping more, they are just a few of the good ones out there...I saw them again, since I was cleaning my office so thought I'd share since I'm feeling extra thankful for friends right now. LOL

"Friends are family we choose for ourselves." Author Unknown

"Best friends are the siblings God forgot to give us." Author Unknown

"Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookies of life." Author Unknown

"No gift can compare to a friend who's always there." Author Unknown

Ok, gotta run, need to check on supper and decide what else we are having with it. Have a wonderful rest of the week! :-))

Friendship

"Friends are family we choose for ourselves." Author Unknown
We have been blessed lately by our friends, in one way or another. Either their knowledge helping us along life's pathway, their friendship giving us a boost when we most need it, even if they didn't know we needed it, or with their caring giving of themselves and their talents.

Today, I received a package in the mail from some friends in Oregon. I knew it was coming, but was so excited to see what they sent in real life, instead of my imagination. Part of the package contained more dish cloths hand knitted by this friends daughter in payment for some of my soaps and lotion bars she asked for so she could give them as gifts. I begged more dishcloths from her, instead of accepting money...cause I'm mean like that. *giggle*

She sent me some pretty yellow ones...like the sunshine I love, and some with reds/pinks/oranges mixed in it, which makes a bright colorful statement which is cheering when I need it most (when I'm cleaning LOL) and a couple that are a blue/green color, which is of course always a good color cause I love those colors. I am still trying to knit my own, but am slow so this way I have several to use...and hopefully can make my own as backups now and then. :)

The other half of the package was from my friend, and were some curtains for under my sink!!! When I posted about my "new" sink last year (here if you don't remember the post) this dear friend offered to make me a curtain to go under the sink, so the ugliness of the "cabinet", and the junk under there wasn't so visible. I told her the size, and even begged one for the open corner I had...and left it up to her to come up with what material to use, and what they should look like.

I LOVE what she sent! The farm motif on the material is really cool (I LOVE old barns!) and the little ruffle she put on the bottom of it makes it perfect for me...cause I LOVE ruffles...and lace...and anything "girlish". :)

I think it looks SOOOO much better now under the sink, than it did before the curtain was there.

I'm feel so blessed with our friends lately...this particular one has been there, on the other end of the phone, when we have had cow troubles helping us decide what is wrong and how to fix it. She has had cows longer than we have, so knows way more about them. :)



Yesterday one of DH's friends called him up and told him about some free oats he could have if he came and got them. He threw the stock racks on the truck, and drove up to get them. He ended up with a nice big pile of them in the back of the truck. Again...a blessing because of a friend.

God has really blessed us, with our friends lately.

Speaking of being blessed by a friend, one of my reader friends sent me a link yesterday after I moaned on my blog about not being able to find a cake pan I was looking for in the attic. It was for the exact type of pan I was looking for...I had no idea you could actually still buy them anywhere, how cool is that! You can see them here, if you were wondering what the heck I was talking about when I tried to describe them yesterday. LOL I'm putting them on my wish list for sometime this year, cause they aren't to expensive really...and while yes I might not use them much...when I want a layer cake, they are the handiest things to use!! :)

Those of you who share your friendship through e-mails and comments on my blog make me feel blessed too! :-))

Praise God for good friendships, they are a blessing indeed!

Fencing

Well this week has been all about fencing. There was quite a big piece of our property that didn't have a fence around it, from when we sold the other part of the property. Most of the posts were in, just not the fence. So since a friend came to help DH, since his back is getting bad, that was the biggest thing he wanted to get done this week...well as done as we could get it, without having enough money to make sure we had EVERYTHING we needed.

They have been working long hours on it, and finally have it as done as it's going to get for now, till we can come up with what we need for the creek crossings. I walked out and got a couple photos of them just as they were finishing up. It's not NEW wire, but that's ok with us, cause we just can't afford to buy new most of the time...and the old will keep the cows in about as good as new would....and that's all that really matters.


I caught them as they climbed the hill again, back to the truck. DH is tired I know...not sure about Ryan, I'm sure he's glad it's done. *giggle*

Course now DH has him cutting some of the scrub cedars down around a big pile of junk that needs burned...so this winter sometime when there is snow, he can make that pile go away. There is so much that could be done outside, that Ryan could stay here for a month I think, without running out of things to do. LOL It's going to feel so good to have that fence done though...hopefully by spring we can get the panels we need for the creek crossings and get it finished up so the cows can be over there next year, instead of in our hay field. We will see how things go.

Thankfully they didn't need my help, so I could stay inside (for the most part) where it was warmer. I was sorting through some things in the bedroom and sewing room when I found a book teaching how to knit (and crochet) so I sat and tried to figure that out for a little bit again, and just couldn't manage it. I need that "hook" on the end to grab the yarn...and since knitting needles don't have it, I find it hard to do. This is at least the 3 or 4th time I've tried to learn and I guess I'm just to stupid to be able to knit. *giggle*


The only reason I really wanted to learn to knit again, was so I could knit my own dish cloths like a friend sent me. Even though she is actually making me some more, I wanted to be able to do it myself, so I'd never have to buy those nasty store bought ones again.

However, since I once again gave up on learning to knit, I got to wondering if there was something that was crochet, but closer to knitting. I kinda remembered something like that from the days I did more of it, but since it had been a long time since then, I couldn't remember.

I went and googled it, and found that some people say the Afghan stitch crochet is a cross between knitting and crochet...so I got to work and relearned how to do it. (I'd played with it before, just had forgotten.) The middle part of the dishrag above, is done in that afghan stitch. I did this between yesterday and this morning. I've not actually used it yet, to see if I will like it, but it will at least be better than those store bought things so I'm sure I'll be making more of them.

I do like the knitted ones the best...but since my talent doesn't seem to lie in that direction, I'll have to make do with my crochet. LOL I've never been good enough at crochet even, to have the crochet loose enough that it's really soft feeling like would be nice, but I do enjoy doing it at least. :)

Well I better run, still have a bunch that I need to do around here, since I took the time out this morning to finish that "test" dish rag. I did manage to make another batch of bread though, since Ryan ground me some flour this morning while hubby was milking, because we have gone though a ton of it this week. LOL Ryan had never had homemade bread...but I guess he likes it! :)

Have a great weekend! :)